A recent anonymous survey conducted by the CUSG Transportation and Facilities Committee found that 90 percent of Clemson students are unsatisfied with on-campus parking.
In addition, 63 percent of 83 students surveyed said they were made late to a class or meeting by the CATbus. Students also said the CATbus is “unreliable” and the small number of available parking spaces is “absurd.”
“Parking and transportation is the bane of my existence,” one of the surveyed students commented. “I find the parking spots on campus to be very frustrating, and I think that the [parking] tickets … rob students of their money.”
CUSG Transportation and Facilities Committee Chairman Joey Wilson is a bridge between students and Parking and Transportation Services, meeting with its director Dan Hofmann weekly to discuss improvements to transportation and parking.
“We’ve heard many complaints about services like Tiger Transit and CATbus,” said Wilson. “We are doing our best to help make these services better through providing [Parking and Transportation Services] insight into the student’s view of transportation, suggesting things like different routes, schedules, locations or even services, and also trying to bring more/alter existing programs to fit the needs of students.”
Wilson also commented on how difficult it is for the University to address these complaints.
“In terms of parking, it’s hard to fix the issue overnight,” said Wilson. “More cars are coming to campus as more students do and it’s difficult and expensive to provide solutions like parking decks.”
The city of Clemson runs Clemson Area Transit (CAT), which administers the CATbus program, and the degree of separation between CAT and Clemson University has made addressing these issues head on difficult for the university. Wilson said that students should plan alternative options to the CATbus, such as Parking and Transportation Services’ carpooling program, which is free if three or more
students participate.
The survey also addressed safety. Students noted that the lack of on-campus lighting and unreliable bus services creates an unsettling environment at night. Of the experiences that were discussed, the most prominent issue seemed to be the wait for Tiger Transit.
“Walking back to my dorm in the horseshoe from the R4 extension at night is very unsettling because the path is close to the woods and goes over a poorly lit bridge,” said one student, commenting on their frustration. “I usually walk anyways because I get off work late at night and Tiger Transit takes too long.”
Wilson addressed the issue of safety, saying,
“Student safety is a large concern of mine and drunk driving and walking is a large danger for students, so we want to make sure people can get to and from downtown seamlessly and safely.”
He suggested that students look into the Clemson Safe Rides program for a safer experience. According to the survey, 82 percent of students are unaware of the Safe Rides program. Wilson also said that students who live in the North Clemson area could use GotchaRide, a transportation service offered by The Gotcha Group.
According to www.thegotchagroup.com, GotchaRide partners with schools “to transport students, faculty and staff around campus in a 100 percent electric, open vehicle.” Although the service is free, the website encourages tipping.
Wilson states that he is working with Transportation Services to improve safety. Actions include expanding locations for Safe Rides and advocating for the bus to run more frequently and during peak times for downtown.
“But we need data to support this change,” said Wilson. He said that CUSG will collect data on its own if it has to do so because student experiences are important. “The only way we can make services better is through feedback from those who use those services.”
Wilson said that students can improve their transportation experience by knowing what is available to them. The recently updated website http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/parking/ and the my.Clemson app both have information regarding these services. The my.Clemson lets students know the location of buses and how full they are, as well as the availability of parking spots.
Wilson said students could reach out to him at [email protected] or Director of Parking and Transportation Services Dan Hofmann at [email protected] with opinions about transportation services.
“If students have issues with services, they should try to personally document what happened and send it to either myself or Dan Hofmann,” said Wilson. “Both CUSG and Parking and Transportation care about the student voice a lot and want to provide the best services possible.”
